Frost damage is quality deterioration caused by ice formation on or inside frozen product and packaging, typically resulting from temperature abuse or partial thawing, and is treated by buyers as evidence of a broken cold chain.
In trade practice
Inspectors look for excessive frost inside the bag, clumped pieces and softened texture on arrival. Temperature loggers placed inside the container provide documentary evidence of whether fluctuations occurred in transit. A common mistake is attributing frost to the supplier when damage actually occurred during port handling or cross-docking. Buyers should record findings with photographs at the point of receipt and cross-reference logger data before raising a claim.
In a specification
Purchase specifications typically state a maximum permissible frost level by visual grade and require that any consignment showing signs of frost damage be held pending joint inspection before acceptance.